New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-29
MARCHING IN DRIVING RAIN.
VETERANS PARADE DESPITE THE DISMAL
WEATHER.

UMBRELLAS AND wATERpRooFs MARK THE LINE
OF TIE PRoCEssIoN-rHE NATIONAL EN-
CAMPMENT-GENERAL FAIRcHILDs
ADDREss-INCIDENTs OF THE
DAY IN ST. LOUIS.
isY TELEGRAPH TO THE IF pUNE.1
ST. Louis Sept. 2s.-The forr oil opening OF the
National Encampment to-day r ks the brightest
point in tho fortunes of the Grand Army. Iwen-
ty-one years ago the cornerstone OF this military
temple was laid in Decatur, Ill.,. where the hrst
post was organized. The official reports pre-
sented to the National Encampment to-day show
that there are now over 5000 posts with mem
bership of nearly 3SO.OO0 The progress Of the Or
eanization has been continuous the net gain in
membership averaging $4,000 or $4,000 year in
the face of an increasing death rate and OF sus-
pensions for nom pay ment of dues The relief fund
for disabled soldiers and the annual expenditures
for charitable purposes have kept pace with the
grow th of the organization.
Cayliiug critics who are accustomed to speak
lightly of the Grand Armv as a horde OF
pension grabbers bent upon pillagng the
National Treasury will be surprised to
learn that about $4,000 is now expended
every year for the relief Of destitute veterans their
widows and orphans and that the WOmens Relief
Corps the sister organization. with 10000 mem
bers has disbursed nearly $3s, 900 in charity. lhe
veterans are banded together for works OF mercv
aud benevoleucs keeping green the memories OF
the dead and promoting sympathy and fellowship
among the living The Grand Army has never been
80 powerful and efficient as social or benevolent
agency as it is to-day. The annual statistics show
that the ranks have been vigorously recruited since
the San Francisco encampment.
The great concourse of soldiers drawn from every
State aud Territory to St. Louis is OF itself signal
proof of the power, vitality and enthusiasm of the
foru hloya a
mas been seen since the War. The number OF Union
soldiers now in the city cannot be ascertained with
any degree of precision At least %, 600 are known
to be encamped in the CITY and suburban parks
The number lodged in hotels aud board, lg-houses
certainly exceeds this estimate The three states
of Illinois Missouri and Kansas cannot have fewer
than 40 900 veterans on the ground, and Zoooo Is
probably fair estimate for the combined strength
of the delegations from other States. As there is
nc general register and as the reports OF the local
committee are incomplete, the aggregate number
can only be crudely coniectured Io-days marcn
IN driving rainstOrm offers no basis for accurate
reckoning Even a parade IA fair weather would
not furnish an accurate test there are thousands
rather than hundreds, who consider themselves TOO
old for long tramp through the streets and prefer
to look on from some cOign of vantage while the
boys marching.
Whether the aggregate number be $4,000 or
10000. it Is a mighty host and with the concourse
OF sightseers it has drawn in it has filled the town
MS it was never filled before The streets are
densely thronged from daylight to midnight ana
wnen the small hours are sounded py the
big clocks IN the hotel corridors the lines OF cots
and blanketed sleepers stretch from the topmost
e,try to the street doors. The com honest estimate
placed upon he surplus population of the city this
week is 100 O00 but this Is only feat OF guessing
at random There were 32,0 600 visitors yesterday
at the EXPOSITION. where Gilmore Is ouering popu-
lar programmes with his full band. Tue Merchants
Exchange is one of the largest halls the country
and il was packed suff ,eaton last evening With
veterans and their families
ARpoR NOT DAMPENED BY DISMAL WEATHER.
Even these great assemblages furnish only
scanty means of computing the number of visitors
Certany il is great crowd and even the most DIS
NAL weather eyer known in holiday week mas ialleh
IN dampen its arlor or to affect ITS temper For
eicrers who required proof before conceding tnat
Americans are the besnatured people under the sun
wonld be readily convinced if they were IN st.
LOUIS this week. Prayers for better weather
were given up this morning under the impression
that the cxigencies of late-growing crops neeoed
more attention from Providence than the recrea-
tions of weather soldiers. The Signal Service
reports had been favorable for three days but there
had been no reputable weather outside the Govern
ment pred,ctiona A German veteran carving
battered canteen from of the dripping tents ID
one of the parks is credited with a joke whch the
soldiers are enjoying In his vernacuar the jest is
this:
81 beerd dot CIefeland vetoed dot vedder report
which yos made out by dot Signal Service"
Certainly series of vetoes somewhere marred
the prospects of the great military pageant post
poned until to-day. Orders were issued ias' h'en'
that the veterans should march without regard iof
ttf fulI declmated
ernor OgIesby in stirring speech at the
Merchants Exchange had protested against
another postponment and General Sher-
man. who followed him. had called TOT
marching orders. dryIy remarkng that no nau
known il to rain in Illinois and California one nun
drod and fifty days at a time. uncle n'ny
word is law for the veterans ana they malcheu'
There were no signs OF clearing weather at oay-
light and as the morning advanced the skies were
dorLened and 6tful showers settled into soaking
rain General Grier recalled " Uncle Billy's dis
coura0;ng reference to the one hundred ana hity
davs of genuine Western weather and left the SOL
diers IN their fate Orders were dispatched 10 the
camps and State headquarters and the line was
formed between 10 and ii o'clock.
TIE Mayor had directed the streets to be cleaned
earlv in the morning This was done over the greater
part of the route and the roadways were In Ia'r
condition for marching but the ram hopeiessy
discouraged large contingent oi INC 'o'0
The street decorations which described IN yes'er
IA Z dispatch were water-soaked streameiS
hr' limp and flags little and big refused 70 nut-
t.. The artistic effect of the lavish expenditure
Of me ana money IN decorating the streets wss
ser ,slv msnsd. and the soldiers as they marched
by isvslks bordered with waterprocfs and nm
brc, "a had little to inspire them save the eniiven
ing strains of the numerous bands and the mufhed
cheers of mud -bedraggled spectators. Still they
formed ranks cheerfulIy and whom the long
column was set in motion marched In good order
and with the steadiness of veterans.
ORDER OF THE PARADE
The loe was headed by the Commander-in-Chiei
from whose breast cleaned the costly diamond and